A former presidential aspirant, Stanley Osifo, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, signalling a possible showdown with President Bola Tinubu despite widespread endorsements for the incumbent.
Osifo made the announcement on Monday during a press briefing in Abuja, where he also revealed plans to purchase the party’s ₦100m nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of the primaries.
His declaration comes amid strong backing for Tinubu within the party, including endorsements from all 22 APC governors, who have thrown their support behind him as the sole candidate for 2027.
Addressing rumours about political sponsorship, Osifo dismissed claims linking his ambition to the president.
“It is not strange to hear people say Tinubu is the one sponsoring me. Even when I wanted to run against Buhari in 2019, I was told the current president was bankrolling me.
“I can categorically tell you as I stand before you today that I have never benefited one Kobo from him. Thank God Asiwaju is still alive till today. If anybody has proof, let them show the world. So, I am not worried about such an insinuation.
“I am declaring interest and running for this ticket because of the strong conviction that I have. I have not been found wanting in any area or sanctioned for doing anything related to anti-party activities.”
He insisted that party endorsements do not override constitutional provisions governing candidate selection, adding that he remains committed to the race despite the growing support for Tinubu.
“I am not against the governors or party leaders endorsing anybody. I am not out to fight anybody but we all have a constitutional right to pursue our ambitions.
“Again, there is no part of our party constitution that says that if anyone is endorsed, he automatically becomes the candidate of the party. There is no such law, even in the Nigerian constitution that highlights endorsement as a pathway to becoming a candidate.
“The party constitution clearly states that an aspirant can come out and run. INEC law also mandates an aspirant to vie for the ticket of any political office he qualifies for,” he stressed.
The All Progressives Congress has scheduled its presidential primary for May 15 to 16, with nomination forms set at ₦100m.
Osifo’s move sets the stage for an internal contest within the ruling party, even as momentum builds around a consensus candidacy for Tinubu ahead of the primaries.
